2017 in Review, Favorites, and Seasons Greetings

22 Comments

In 2017, I limited again my travels, in part because of the demands of the book tour for Treasured Lands. Beyond the
great critical reviews, awards, and official state recognition,
I am most grateful to all of you who have helped make the book a success. This has me considering a follow-up based on solely unusual views and locations. Despite the relatively short field time, I am fortunate to have been able to capture some elusive photographs that are sure to make their way into this project. I’d appreciate it if you would let me know which ones are your favorites!

Pinnacles Moses Spring Waterfall at Least: For most of the year, Pinnacles National Park is quite a dry place. I revisited right after the high rains of this winter to observe the place transformed by the flow of the creeks and to photograph another elusive waterfall.

Carrizo Plain National Monument Super Bloom: Most of the times a barren-looking grassland, the little-known Carrizo Plain came to life thanks to the abundant rains of last winter, to become the site of a “super bloom”, with some of the best wildflower displays I had ever seen in California. Next year, I will be spending more time in the national monuments as part of
much needed advocacy for those public lands under attack. Even the government actions were deeply disappointing, it was heartening to see so many people speaking out for our public lands, and I hope that you’ll continue to do so!

Back to Pine Creek Canyon, Zion National Park: One might think that the slot canyons do not vary much. But in fact, the interplay of light with the walls varies much faster than in more open scenery, and the repeat visit of a Zion classic brought much changes.

A Gift from Kabetogama, Voyageurs National Park: I woke up at 5:30am to catch an early flight from San Francisco to Saint-Paul Minneapolis, arriving in the mid-afternoon, followed by a five-hour drive, to reach the outskirts of Voyageurs National Park. I am glad that I nevertheless stayed up that night.

Accessing and Working Isle Royale’s Lookout Louise: Isle Royale is famous for its population of wolves and moose, but they had proven elusive. On my third trip to Isle Royale, because I needed to go down from Lookout Louise to retrieve gear, I was elated to be able to at least photograph a moose.

Return of the Mountaineer: How it felt to climb the Grand Teton this summer after a 20-year hiatus from mountaineering, and observe again the alpenglow for high up.

Wonderful images, QT! Its difficult to pick a single favorite, but I can say that I think you had perhaps the best seat on the planet for the eclipse.

Thanks too for your work on public land advocacy. It’s nice to see photographers speaking up for the places that essentially provide them with their livelihood, and yours is a voice that will be heard.

As I mentioned then, love how you did something different with the firefall and some of your other unusual angles and views. I particularly like Carrizo Plain and Pine Creek Canyon. Congratulations on the success of your book this year. May it and all else only get better for you in 2018… 🙂

Thanks Karl, starting the year with the firefall made it difficult to top. The Tetons were incredible, but I focused on the experience rather than creating a great photograph. Wishing you a great year as well!

QT Luong is a full-time photographer and author with a broad range of work on natural and cultural landscapes, noted for being the first to photograph each of the 60 US National Parks - in large format, the subject of Treasured Lands, winner of six national book awards.